Need some last minute Christmas present ideas? Why not support Māori-owned business while you’re at it? 

Cards, prints, art and stationary

There are lots of artists and designers making beautiful products that not only look great but also showcase te reo Māori.

Tuhi make planners, and maramataka journals to record your low and high energy days, and the best days for gardening and fishing.
Okāri make delightful stationary and gift cards with greetings in te reo.
Aho Creative have prints and designs for pēpi and the family showcased on muslin, cushions and other creature comforts.

Check out Mahi Toi  for artworks and prints for your walls, made by artist Spencer Bellas, and B. Waipuka who stock the amazing NIU Oracle cards – a combination of Tarot and the ancient tradition of casting rākau.

Books

Māori owned and run publisher Huia books have a range of 2018 fiction and non-fiction titles for adults and kids. We love the new fantasy Flight of the Fantail and the kids’ adventure Whetū Toa & The Magician by Steph Matuku, The Bomb/Te Pohu by Sacha Cotter and Critical Conversations in Kaupapa Māori by Te Kawehau Hoskins and Alison Jones for the academic in your life.

2018 has been an awesome year for Māori poets: Check out Tayi Tibble’s Poūkahangatus, Ben Brown’s Between the Kindling & the Blaze, Tātai Whetū: Seven Māori Women Poets in Translation edited by Maraea Rakuraku and Vana Manasiadis, or Star Waka by Robert Sullivan.

Anahera Press is another independent publisher with many excellent titles, including Rāwāhi by Briar Wood.

The Bridget Williams Books BWB Texts series make great stocking stuffers: Rebuilding the Kāinga: Lessons from Te Ao Hurihuri by architect Jade Kake; Māui Street, a collection of writing from socio-political commentator Morgan Godfery, and Ko Taranaki Te Maunga, a personal telling of the story of Parihaka by Rachel Buchanan.

BWB have also released the first volume of Tāngata Ngāi Tahu: People of Ngāi Tahu edited by Helen Brown and Takerei Norton,

We recommend you take The Imaginary Lives of James Pōneke by award-winning author Tina Makereti along to the beach this summer, a gripping fictional historical account of Māori travelling to Britain in colonial times.

Jewellery and gifts

Hapa NZ  and Kura Gallery sell a range of sensational jewellery and gifts on behalf of Māori artists, as well as some non-Māori and international makers. There is so much excellent work by local artisans to be found on both sites.

Oak and Acorn are a father/daughter design duo who make awesome wooden rings and earrings from swamp kauri and other timbers.

Courtney Marama of Marama Jewellery makes incredibly refined pieces with pounamu and gemstones. She’ll be having open days at her studio in Cambridge in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

Or check out the brightly coloured pieces and the awesome Tangata Whenua belt from brand new collective Te Lab.

For independent jewellery and taonga makers, weavers and carvers, obviously te ao Māori has an embarrassment of riches and this is by no means an exhaustive lists. Research the makers in your rohe and buy directly.

Clothing

Hine is a cool women’s activewear range run by inspirational, body positive wāhine. We love the deep, wine red leggings.

Tukau Legacy have a range of bilingual and te reo prints on bags, clothes, coolers and more, and Reo Way make cool basics with kupu Māori in simple, clean designs.

Koukou Creations sell a sweet range of cheeky prints, calendars, homeware and kākahu. Check out the Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi jumpers.

Designer Adrienne Whitewood applies bold prints to dresses, shirts, shawls, jumpers and more, and also stocks a fantastic range of other items such as poi, posters and postcards, and kete by Maria Mclean as well as a unique range of stockings.

At the higher end, designer Kiri Nathan and carver Jason Nathan sell very special pieces if you wanted to impress that special someone.

Delicious things

Delicious things are never a bad present.

ĀIO Botanical Teas not only taste great but look lovely too.

High quality honey is always a welcome treat, and Aotearoa is spoiled for choice and quality from whānau and iwi-owned honey makers. Try Kai Ora mānuka honey from the Far North, Oha honey from Ngāi Tahi or Manawa Honey from Ruatāhuna.

Manaaki‘s Kawakawa Jelly, Kamokamo Pickle and Horopito and Lemon sauce make great gifts – all handmade by the aunties of Omaka marae.

Wine is always welcome as a Christmas treat too.

Tuku wines is a collective is made up of Māori owned wine companies: Te Pā Family Vineyards, Tiki Wine & Vineyards, Bird Wines, Kuru Kuru Wines, and Ostler Wine. That means a huge range of varieties.

For something truly festive you can’t go past the Rewa range of  Méthode Traditionnelle from Tohu wines of Te Tau Ihu, who have been blazing the way for iwi-owned wine for a while.

Homeware

Keo make small batch earthenware, homeware and adornments. We’re in love with the ceramic ipu and horoi soap dishes.

Taputapu create te reo Māori homeware for your whare. The tī, kawhe and mairo jars are an essential for your pantry.

Taiao Tribe (formerly Eco Society) eco subscription packs are a great gift for families – a monthly subscription box containing eco-friendly products from tooth brushes to pegs to chocolate.

Skincare and fragrances

It seems many small businesses are channelling the matauranga of their ancestors and putting knowledge of our native plants into practise with all natural skincare products.

Shaquille Whatarangi’s Pureora skincare range has lovely face masks and balms. Hau Botanicals, made by Mahuru Wilcox, sell a smaller but stunning range of body oils and balms.

Iho sell healing blends of essential oils, and Noa have a unique range of natural deodorants, sunscreen and muscle rub. The popular Frankie Apothecary range has Christmas packs of soaps, scrubs and oils.

For something a bit fancy, Tiffany Jeans of Curio Noir makes intoxicating candles and fragrances in her Auckland store.

You maye seen the Aotea range of wellness tonics. They also make skincare such as mānuka oil, kumarahou soap and kawakawa balm.

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Got some more tips for Māori businesses and creators we should check out this Christmas? Head to our Facebook page and let us know.